


Brand New Day

by Sokorra



Series: The Christmas Prompts 2017 [2]
Category: NCIS: New Orleans
Genre: F/M, Future fic based on another fic I never finished, perhaps a little too fluffy for Merri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 06:22:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13607427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sokorra/pseuds/Sokorra
Summary: Merri is awoken by her daughter one day in the future.





	Brand New Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MeredithBrody](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeredithBrody/gifts).



> This story is based on a headcanon I made after Merri was unceremoniously removed from NOLA. Basically, Merri in a downward spirl after dealing with her sister's murder, Russo's betrayal, and leaving her job seeks out her ex-fiance and best friend James Lathom. She was also pregnant, possibly with Russo's child, which adds to her problems. James lets her stay, but calls Pride to help him help Merri get the help she needs.
> 
> That story got started but never finished and is appropriately angsty for Merri. This is really fluffy and happy. And perhaps a bit too much of those two things with it comes to Merri.

Merri was awoken to the sounds of her four year old daughter trying to whisper and failing at it.  The actual whispering of her husband could be heard if not exactly what he said.  She could tell he was trying to keep Emma quiet while also not laughing.  She couldn't help but smile.  It was hard to believe this was her life.

Five years ago things had been so different.  She had hit rock bottom, depression and survivior's guilt combining.  She had quite her job, and found herself pregnant and due to circumstances unknowing of who the father was.  She hadn't known what she wanted to do, or what she should do, and she had jumped on a plane.  Between James and Pride they had helped her find her way.  Well, and the therapist they convinced her to go to.  It had been a long road, but she finally was finding herself waking up in the morning not feeling like something was pressing her down.

Instead she could smile, and pretend to be asleep while her daughter attempted to sneak her breakfast in bed.  She closed her eyes as the door opened and managed to bit down a smile as she could hear them both go  _shhhhhh_  when someone accidently let the door hit the wall.

"Can I wake her up now, Daddy?"  Emmy asked, her voice still too loud to be a whisper.

"Hold on, lets put the tray somewhere safe first."  That was a good idea, as Emmy, unlike her mother, was a very tactile person.  She would be hopping on the bed in no time, which would no doubt end up with food on the blankets.  Merri was not at point where she was easily situated, so that was a problem too.

"Alright," She heard James say, his voice at his regular level which let her know he knew full well she was awake.  However, he didn't give it away to their daughter.  "We can wake her up now."  She barely had a moment to prepare herself for the flying form of her daughter as she launched herself onto the bed and her mother to wake her up.

"Wake up, Mummy!"  she said excited, shaking her mother.  

"Emmy, careful."  James warned.  "You can't jump on your mother like that."  Merri opened her eyes in time to see Emmy frown. 

"Because of the baby?"

"Yes, and because you are getting big," James explained.  Emmy seemed to accept that.  She felt she needed to be a big girl now, as she was an older sister.  Well, going to be an older sister.  Merri was only four months pregnant, barely showing.  Emmy was not quite so big to really cause her any harm, but the bed shakes had been known to induce the morning sickness that thankfully this time around was only slight.

"I don't want to hurt Mummy."

"You didn't," Merri assured her daughter, pulling her close. "But you owe me a snuggle now."  It was funny, she thought to herself, how even six years ago this scene had been unthinkable to her.  Having another child after the loss of her son, bringing a child into the world she saw as dark and violent had been a firm "Not going to happen."  She hadn't wanted children anymore.  HOwever, Emmy had been a surprise.  A helpful surprise as being pregnant had forced Merri into caring for herself, if only for the baby she had spent the first half of the pregnancy sure she was going to put up for adoption.  She was pretty sure it also made it easier for James and Pride to get through to her, to help her.

Naming her daughter after her sister had been a no brainer.  And she had really expected Emma Leigh to be her only child.  Her current pregnancy had been as much a shock as her previous one, abit with her in a much better place.  

She looked up at James, who was watching them with a look she had grown to love.  That one that showed how much he loved the two of them, a sense of awe curled around it.  She totally understood.  She felt the same way.

"So, what's this I hear about breakfest?" she asked, tickling her daughter, her smile growing as the girl shrieked with laughter.

She had so much to be thankful of that morning.


End file.
